5 major types of anxiety disorders

5 major types of anxiety disorders

Anxiety is a feeling of being uneasy, such as constantly having to worry about something or being scared. It may range from being mild to severe. While everybody feels anxious at some or the other time in life, it generally occurs because of some big event such as sitting for an exam, having an interview, applying for a job, getting married, and so on. These occasions call for a high level of anxiousness. However, for people who have anxiety disorders, they are perpetually worried and find it extremely tough to get rid of their worries. They may feel anxious much more constantly, which in turn, may hamper their day-to-day functioning. Here are the five major types of anxiety disorders you should be aware of:

Generalized anxiety disorder
People who are affected with general anxiety disorder show signs of excessive anxiety or keep getting worried on most of the days over a period of at least six months. They may feel anxious about things associated with their regular routines, such as social interactions, work, or even health. This disorder may cause a lot of problems in their life and may hamper their school life, work life, and even regular social interactions.
The symptoms generally include:

  • Restlessness
  • Feeling wound up or on the edge at all times
  • Getting tired very easily
  • Difficulty in concentration and going completely blank about their regular chores

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder
    Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common disorder, which is chronic in nature and is quite a long-lasting disorder. When a person is affected with this disorder, he or she may develop constant obsessions or show an uncontrolled behavior towards a certain activity such as cleaning or organizing, wherein the affected person may have the urge to repeat an action again and again.

Post-traumatic stress disorder
It is completely natural to get scared during or post a traumatic situation. However, with people suffering from this type of anxiety disorder, this fear is very difficult to get over. The fear is triggered in the body, resulting in many small changes which help in defending us from dangerous situations or urge us to avoid them. The fight or flight response is quite natural for the body to produce. However, if a serious issue has occurred resulting in post-traumatic stress disorder, then the person may feel scared in situations where there is no reason to be scared.

Social phobia
Also referred to as social anxiety disorder, this disorder is often reflected by too much anxiety and extreme self-consciousness during social interactions. However, it may be limited only to a certain factor of social habits such as public speaking or drinking and eating in front of other people. But when it affects the person too much, it may create fear in them even during normal human interactions.

Panic disorder
This type of disorder is reflected by repeated episodes and extreme levels of unexpected fear, which may be further accompanied by varying physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, or abdominal stress.